Blog Archives

Broc does an awesome job discussing why presenting is so critical to your success. I realized this several years ago when I joined Toastmasters. Broc and I are online friends now, and his content “rocks”!

Does anyone else go to concerts and try to figure out how to do your job better? No? A side effect of being a presenter and facilitator is that I cannot attend any training, speech, or event without noticing what is done well, what could be better, and what I can learn from it.

Eighteen months ago I wrote a post called “Rock and Roll Presentation Skills” after seeing one of my favorite European bands perform. As a presenter, this band inspires me more than any other with their stage presence, energy, and connection to the crowd. By sheer coincidence the same band was performing in Dallas the same weekend I was there to attend HRevolution and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see them again.

Reflecting on what I took from this performance, the presentation lessons hold true with what I learned from their last performance.

Presenting in front of colleagues, prospects or customers can be very difficult if not terrifying. But it does not have to be. As a Toastmaster for 18 months now, I am continually looking for ways to improve my presentations.

It is a work in process, and thankfully each time I get up in front of an audience is a step in the right direction.

Here are five things that I focus on each time I present:

Preparation – I know; sounds crazy but it really does make a difference! Practice ahead of time and make sure audio-visual equipment is working before you start

Timing and organization – Be respectful of people’s busy schedules and don’t go over time. Always have a question and answer period near the end, but close with your own summary

Less is more – NEVER put too much information on a PowerPoint slide. Information overload tunes people out!

What is your value – Smile often, be engaging and limit dead air. These speeches tend to get monotonous and boring. Stand out!

Information gathering – Have a sign in sheet. This is a great way to confirm contact information and follow-up at a later date

If you want specific information on any aspect of public speaking, stop by http://www.toastmasters.org and check out the library of resources!

Who was horrified to get called on to speak out loud in grade school class

Stood behind his mom or dad’s leg every time as a child when people tried to speak to him in public

Answered the telephone by saying “Yeah” at home and not “Hello” when he had trouble saying the word

Would cry himself to sleep on occasion as a child wondering why he was different and did not speak like everyone else

Once had a teacher stop him from speaking out loud in class, came up to him, asked him to open his mouth and checked if “there was an answer” to his speech issues in there

Would sit for what seemed like hours afraid to pick up the phone before calling a friend when he was afraid to stutter

As a teenager, would never go through the drive-thru to order food because he was afraid to mess up his words

As a young adult, would only order drinks at a nightclub only if he could say the word properly, even if he did not even really like the drink

Would get lazy and only say words that he could say smoothly throughout the first 18 years of his life, and not work on the difficult words

As a high school graduate focused on getting in to a profession where he would not have to interact with many people, and could keep to themselves

That boy was me, and growing up I felt like I was the only person in the world that was dealing with a stuttering issue. We have all dealt with stuff in our lives, and fought through adversity in our own ways. I look forward to sharing my entire speech journey at some point in the future but for today, you only need understand this.

I have not allowed these issues to take control of my life. I changed my area of study in school because I hated the courses that I was hiding behind when I felt scared to face the world. I have always been in a very relationship oriented professions, and speak in front of groups of people regularly. I have cold called face to face, in person, and been in pressure packed speaking situations more than I care to remember.

But you know what, I made it through every situation, some more easily than others. Today I am involved with Toastmasters, doing video on my blog, and am not afraid to tell my story to the world.

We are not here to judge each other on what is, or is not significant in terms of what is causing issues in our lives. But we need to be there to support each other and aid in getting past these hurdles.

I am convinced that if I did not have those speech issues growing up that I would not have become as touch a customer as I am today. Perspective is a powerful thing, and when I attended an info session recently to volunteer at a stuttering clinic, I realized that I did not have it so bad after all! It just seemed like it at the time, because all eyes were on me as I struggled day-to-day.

What is holding you back?

Is there something that others can help you get through to become who you really want to be professionally and/or personally?

It may seem like a big deal now, but once you conquer it you can look back and say,

“That was a turning point in my life!”

If you have a story that you would be comfortable sharing, I would love to post them on my blog in the next couple of weeks. Please send them to:

Categories

Learn more click ”pic”!

Dynamic and energized sales rep, mentor and leader since 1999. This blog will be about sales, social networking, personal branding, leadership, music and having some laughs! Don’t be surprised if I mix it up on occasion though, and talk about something totally different! I thrive on being part of successful, forward thinking teams. I am ready to go from the moment my feet hit the floor each morning, with the expectation that new adventures will be coming my way. It is rare that there isn't a smile on my face, as I take it all in, and have some fun along the way!